Arjun meets PM on quota ahead of Monsoon Session

New Delhi, Jun 27: Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this evening, possibly to underscore the urgency of dealing with the reservation issue in time for the Monsoon session of Parliament, a source said.

There was no official word on what transpired. An aide said the HRD Minister met the Prime Minister, but ''I cannot tell you the content of their meeting.'' The meeting came after remarks by Social Welfare Minister Meira Kumar questioning a draft Cabinet note the HRD Minister had circulated suggesting a blueprint of sorts on the subject.

Kumar had wondered why the note-- not made public-- could not wait submission of an interim report-- due around July 10-- by an Oversight Committee headed by Veerappa Moily.

The Oversight Committee was set up with the Prime Minister's approval to recommend steps to implement a move to introduce higher education reservation for backward classes other than scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

A source close to the HRD Minister indicated that his meeting with the Prime Minister was possibly to emphasise the need to build up consensus on the issue well ahead of the Parliament session.

The meeting was neither to undermine the Moily effort nor to counter the concerns voiced by Meira Kumar but only to put things in perspective for the Prime Minister, the source indicated.

UNI

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